My mom is an incredible person.

I'm sure most people say the same thing about their parent(s), but, really, my mom is insanely awesome. And like many other people, there are things I should be telling my mom every second of every day, but it just doesn't happen. So to try to make up for my negligence, here are five things my mom needs to hear from me more often:

1. I'm Sorry

I'm sorry for a lot of things. I'm sorry for always being so difficult. I'm sorry I'm cranky all the time. I'm sorry you get stuck having to listen to me vent and b*tch up a storm whenever anything doesn't go the way I planned. I'm sorry things haven't turned out exactly the way you planned either. I'm sorry I pick fights with my brother and pick on you relentlessly. I'm sorry I don't make your life easier. I'm sorry for a lot more that doesn't need to be put on the Internet. I'm sorry I don't tell you these things as much as I should.

2. I'm Proud of You

I'm proud of you for raising us the way you have. I'm proud of you for being such a strong person. I'm proud of you for doing things for yourself and for being selfish because you deserve to be. I'm proud of you for making the best of the situations you're put in. I'm proud of you for always working so hard. I'm proud of you for being able to deal with difficult people, because everyone knows I still haven't managed to figure out how to. I'm proud of you for a lot of other things, too.

3. I Miss You

I miss you all the time even if I do get to see you pretty often. It seems like I miss you more and more the older I get. I miss you every day I don't get to see you. I miss you when we text about random things happening. I miss you when we're sitting in the same room watching a movie. I miss you while I'm at school and in classes and meetings. I miss you when I see anything at all that could even vaguely remind me of you or home in general. I miss you even when I'm not thinking about how I miss you.

4. Thank You

Thank you for everything. Thank you for the simple things and the not-so-simple things. Thank you for doing my laundry for me and cooking for me and paying for things for me and raising me and loving me. Thank you for spending time with me and for helping me become who I am today. Thank you for always believing in me and letting me make my own mistakes. Thank you for offering advice and help whenever I need it. Thank you for setting a great example and for being a role model and someone I look up to nearly constantly. Thank you for being your crazy, weird, hilarious self, even when I roll my eyes and make fun of you. Thank you for being the butt of our jokes and dishing it right back. Thank you for teaching me and helping me through the things you can't teach someone else. Thank you for being my mom.

5. I Love You

Saying "I love you" just doesn't represent how much you mean to me, but it's the best I've got right now. I love you a whole heck of a lot. I really don't tell you nearly enough how much I love you, but please know that I think about it all the time. I appreciate you and everything you do for me, and how much effort you put into everything, and who you are as a person and as a mom. Sometimes I'm blindsided by how much I love you, and it sounds cheesy and lame, but it's true. You're one of the absolute best things in my life, and I'd give up anything and everything to make you happy and proud. This is the most important one, and I could never say it as often as I should, but here's a start. I love you.

So after saying the things I needed to, I just have one last thing to reiterate:

My mom is an incredible person.